Wedding Planning Tools and Guide

Photo by Anna Delores

Getting engaged is such a magical and almost surreal moment in your life. You’re riding a high, everything feels like a whirlwind of happiness that you get to experience alongside your family and friends, and you’re excited to start planning for an even more monumental event: your wedding day.

But, with so many vendors to hire, decisions to make, and just general things to do, it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s where Santa Barbara Wedding Style comes in.

We have crafted a curated collection of wedding planning tools and resources to guide couples through the journey, whether they’re thinking ahead for a wedding years down the line or working within a tight 6-month window. These materials break down planning step by step, making the process much more approachable, simpler, and overall more enjoyable for the future bride, groom, and anyone else involved.

Here are the most important links and resources in order in which you will need them. So, buckle up and make sure to bookmark this page in order to plan with ease and design the wedding of your absolute dreams!

Step 1: Wedding Style Quiz

First things first, you need to determine what your wedding style is, and exactly what kind of event you want to have. Are you shooting for an intimate church ceremony followed by a reception at a chic downtown restaurant? Is a large beach wedding more your speed? Or, does a weekend winery getaway sound like a dream?

This 5-minute quiz will take you through a series of questions to help you understand exactly what you’re looking for. At the end you will also receive personalized tips to start planning your perfect wedding or elopement.

Photo: Events by Fran, Brooke Borough Photography

Step 2: Wedding Planning Checklist

Everyone can appreciate a good checklist. And this one is especially useful, because it includes every single item or thing you need to consider when planning a wedding, broken down into easy-to-understand categories. These include ceremony, reception, rehearsal dinner, attire, florals, stationary, photography, rings, and other miscellaneous items like your marriage license, favors, and transportation.

Of course, you will want to knock out a couple of the most important tasks first, including:

• Determining your budget

• Compiling a guest list

• Hiring a wedding planner (see Step 3)

Step 3: Tips for Selecting a Wedding Planner and Coordinator

A wedding planner is there from the very beginning and helps you through every step in the planning process, while a wedding coordinator sees through your day-of timeline to ensure everything goes off without a hitch—and both are equally important.

When you’re going through your selection process and vetting various planners, remember that trust is everything and you should both understand expectations from the very beginning. Whether you’re looking for a planner to spearhead almost every detail or you just need someone to be a sounding board and a guide, be sure to make those intentions clear at your very first meeting.

If you’re looking for a place to start in Santa Barbara, here are our most trusted and knowledgeable wedding planner members:

Photo: Felici Events, Michelle Ramirez Photography

Step 4: The Wedding Location and Venue Brochure

Once you have your wedding style, budget, guest list, and planner all in order, your next step is deciding on a venue—one of the most fun and crucial pieces of the puzzle. You need a location that will fit your specific style and accommodate both your budget and wedding size.

Luckily, in most cities across the country there is no shortage of amazing and scenic spaces to choose from. Specifically, in beautiful Santa Barbara, the following kinds of venues are available to couples:

• Beaches

• Churches

• Estates and Private Homes

• Hotels and Resorts

• Museums

• Parks and Gardens

• Restaurants

• Private Event Venues

• Tasting Rooms

• Theaters

• Golf Courses

• Even Yachts!

Download the brochure for a comprehensive list wedding venues in the Santa Barbara area including options in the Santa Ynez Valley, Summerland and Carpinteria, Ventura, and along the Central Coast.